Danakharuli

Rare red grape of Kartli

Danakharuli is a rare red (black-berried) grape of Shida (Inner) Kartli. It was historically grown around Gori, Kaspi and the Tskhinvali region, but today it is one of the rarest Georgian varieties, preserved mainly in collection plots.

It yields medium-bodied red wines that are delicate and elegant. Unlike many Kartli reds built on bright red fruit, Danakharuli leans to a darker register — plums and dark forest berries. It is often blended (for example with Tavkveri) and shows well in qvevri.

The variety is demanding: it resists fungal diseases poorly and its frost tolerance is only satisfactory. Kartli wineries are now gradually reviving it. It is also known under the synonym Ganakharuli.